revolt

[ ri-vohlt ]

verb (used without object)

1. to break away from or rise against constituted authority, as by open rebellion; cast off allegiance or subjection to those in authority; rebel; mutiny:

   to revolt against the present government.

2. to turn away in mental rebellion, utter disgust, or abhorrence (usually followed by from ):

   He revolts from eating meat.

3. to rebel in feeling (usually followed by against ):

   to revolt against parental authority.

4. to feel horror or aversion (usually followed by at ):

   to revolt at the sight of blood.

verb (used with object)

1. to affect with disgust or abhorrence:

   Such low behavior revolts me.

noun

1. the act of revolting; an insurrection or rebellion.

   Synonyms: putsch, disorder, uprising

2. an expression or movement of spirited protest or dissent:

   a voter revolt at the polls.

revolt

/ rɪˈvəʊlt /

noun

1. a rebellion or uprising against authority
2. in revolt
   in revolt in the process or state of rebelling

verb

1. intr to rise up in rebellion against authority
2. usually passive to feel or cause to feel revulsion, disgust, or abhorrence

Derived Forms

• reˈvolter, noun

Other Words From

• re·volter noun
• unre·volted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of revolt¹

1540–50; (v.) < Middle French revolter < Italian rivoltare to turn around < Vulgar Latin *revolvitāre, frequentative of Latin revolvere to roll back, unroll, revolve; (noun) < French révolte < Italian rivolta, derivative of rivoltare

Word History and Origins

Origin of revolt¹

C16: from French révolter to revolt, from Old Italian rivoltare to overturn, ultimately from Latin revolvere to roll back, revolve

Example Sentences

The three-page letter arrived at GameStop’s Texas headquarters 18 months before the company unexpectedly emerged as the hottest stock on Wall Street and the latest symbol of a widening populist revolt against entrenched elites.

From Washington Post

Humans were doomed in the play even before Radius led the revolt.

From Popular-Science

Chekheria graduated college in Tbilisi with a law degree just a year before another revolt, the Rose Revolution of late 2003.

From Ozy

In 1794, George Washington himself led a militia of 13,000 men into Pennsylvania to put down an anti-tax revolt.

From FiveThirtyEight

The post Facebook in the age of revolt appeared first on Digiday.

From Digiday

The ISI came to the CIA for assistance in fostering a revolt that had developed in the Afghan countryside against Communist rule.

From The Daily Beast

A political leader told us parliament won't do anything unless people revolt.

From The Daily Beast

Initially, Truth Revolt printed that Dunham was 17 when this event occurred (she was 7).

From The Daily Beast

Fallin reversed course on that as well, but not before a mini-revolt grew among suburban parents.

From The Daily Beast

A problem far more pressing for the dynasty was the Taiping revolt, which ran from 1850 to 1864 and left tens of millions dead.

From The Daily Beast

The rapid spread of the revolt was not a whit less marvelous than its lack of method or cohesion.

From Project Gutenberg

Yet, so curiously constituted is the native mind, the blowing-up of the magazine was the final tocsin of revolt.

From Project Gutenberg

The news of Bruce's revolt and the death of Comyn roused Edward into full martial vigour.

From Project Gutenberg

General Pio del Pilar slept in the city every night, ready to give the rocket-signal for revolt.

From Project Gutenberg

In vain he warned the King that this was not a revolt but a revolution; the counsels of Polignac were all powerful.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• defection
• insurgency
• insurrection
• mutiny
• rebellion
• revolution